During his visit to Belfast on Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden called for the restoration of the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland. However, analysts do not expect his plea to lead to significant change.
An effective devolved government reflects the people of Northern Ireland and is accountable to them, a government that works to find ways through hard problems together is going to draw even greater opportunity to this region, Biden said in a speech delivered at Ulster University.
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, which brought an end to 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland. Biden arrived in Belfast on Tuesday evening to mark the anniversary, which has been overshadowed by a prolonged political deadlock in the region.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L, Rear) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R, Rear) attend a joint press conference in Windsor, Britain, on Feb. 27, 2023. (Simon Walker/No 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua)
In opposition to post-Brexit trade rules, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has refused to join the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland for more than a year, raising concerns over political stability.
In February, the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) concluded a new trade arrangement for Northern Ireland after long negotiations. But the DUP has publicly stated its opposition, arguing that while representing real progress, the agreement fails to deal with fundamental issues.
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson noted on Wednesday that Biden’s plea for political leaders to restore their power-sharing government has not changed his feelings on the matter. “He (Biden) made that clear and to be honest he didn’t seek to apply any pressure,” Donaldson told Sky News.
Ian Scott, a professor of American history at the University of Manchester, told Xinhua that Biden has to do a lot of convincing for the people, particularly for the Unionist community and the DUP. “Inevitably, there are going to be those critics who will say that Biden is stepping into a minefield of political entanglements,” he said.
A crew member works at Belfast Harbour in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Britain on Feb. 1, 2020. (Photo by Paul McErlane/Xinhua)
“There’s a lot at stake economically and politically for the United States,” Scott added. “They understand that if the UK government gets further embroiled in the whole Brexit argument that’s been going on for seven years now, it takes their eye off the economic ball.”
There was the promise in the aftermath of Brexit by the then UK government that there would quickly be trade deals with everybody around the world, including the United States, and it has not really happened quite that way, the professor noted.
After Biden’s Wednesday speech, the BBC’s Northern Ireland political correspondent Gareth Gordon said the U.S. president is “now leaving impotent to unblock a politics beyond the control of even his powerful administration.”
Ahead of Biden’s visit, clashes occurred again in Northern Ireland. Local police on Tuesday said they found four suspected pipe bombs in Londonderry, a city about 110 km northwest of Belfast.
Workmen remove the signs at the European Commission in Northern Ireland office in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Britain on Jan. 31, 2020. Britain will leave the European Union (EU) on Jan. 31, 2020. (Photo by Paul McErlane/Xinhua)
On Monday, officers came under attack with petrol bombs and other objects thrown at their vehicle while in attendance at an Easter parade opposing the Good Friday peace accord.
Community intelligence has shown there may be attempts to draw police into serious public disorder in Londonderry and to use that as a platform to launch terrorist attacks on the police, local police said.■
